Advocacy win: Zimbabwe Government to fulfill Abuja Declaration and FP2030 commitments for the first time

Thanks in part to the advocacy efforts of MSI Zimbabwe (Population Serivces Zimbabwe (PSZ)), the Abuja Declaration and FP2030 family planning financial commitments will be carried out by the Zimbabwe Government in 2025.

The 2024, the Zimbabwe national budget allocation for health fell short of the Abuja Declaration target (15% of GDP). Consequently, the allocation for family planning also fell short. In a global context of declining funding for family planning and a flatlining of the UNFPA supplies allocation, it was critical that efforts were made to increase the allocation for reproductive health in the 2025 budget.   

PSZ engaged in a range of activities and strategies to contribute to the national budget conversation. Working with the Advocacy Core Team, Compass Zimbabwe, and My Age Zimbabwe, they involved the wider community in the budget process. They held national budget literacy training sessions across five provinces in Zimbabwe, which were instrumental to enhancing community engagement with the budget process. Trainings focused on the critical importance of health financing to ensure access to primary healthcare and the importance of sexual and reproductive health and rights. 300 community members received education to make the case for increased investment in SRHR. 

In the national budget consultations, PSZ amplified community asks and presented submissions outlining concerns and recommendations, with a specific focus on health and contraception. These submissions informed the budget allocation and priority-setting process, ensuring that government expenditures aligned with the country’s development goals and priorities. 

PSZ’s submission had three main asks:  

• 15% of the 2025 national budget to be allocated to health
• 3% of the health budget to be dedicated to family planning commodities (in line with the Family Planning Costed Plan, FP2030 commitments, and the country’s universal health coverage goals)
• Local pharmaceutical production of reproductive health products, to reduce dependence on imports

Taking the time to nurture a high-level relationship with parliament paid off, as PSZ was invited to closed meetings such as the National MoHCC Budget Expenditure Review and Priority Setting convened by the Portfolio Committee on Health. 

If the government executes the budget in line with what was published, the 3% health budget allotted for family planning has the potential to leverage additional funding from the UNFPA Match Fund in 2025. The Match Fund allows governments that can prove expenditure of their own resources on quality family planning products to have expenditure matched $1 for $1 (capped at $2M). The Government of Zimbabwe has successfully leveraged Match Funds from UNFPA in 2022 and 2023. 

Going forward, PSZ continues to advocate for government expenditure on reproductive health. They have contributed to a civil society position paper on sustainable health financing and are hosting a site visit of the Budget and Finance Portfolio Committee.